The present invention relates to a device for allowing the use in an aircraft of at least one personal means of radio communication, as well as to a means of radio communication designed for this purpose.
More precisely, the present invention applies to a personal means of radio communication which comprises in particular:
a unit for processing digitized information; PA1 a means of transmission transmitting, in the form of electromagnetic waves, digitized information received from said processing unit; and PA1 a means of reception detecting, in the form of electromagnetic waves, digitized information which is sent to said processing unit. PA1 either geostationary satellites; PA1 or installations provided on the ground and intended for air transport. PA1 the means of communication which use ground installations have only limited geographical coverage. Furthermore, since several communication systems of different types exist, various appropriate items of equipment are necessary on the aircraft to obtain a satisfactory field of communication; and PA1 the means of communication which use geostationary satellites do not have worldwide coverage (for example, the polar regions are not covered) and the limited number of channels available reduces the communication capacities. PA1 said means of radio communication furthermore includes; PA1 said device includes: PA1 said transmitter and said receiver are integrated into a transmit and receive beacon; and/or PA1 said first and second means of sending form part of one and the same connection cable. Thus, the simple act of attaching this connection cable to the mobile telephone or the portable terminal disables the radioelectric part of the latter and prevents any untimely and dangerous electromagnetic transmission, inside the aircraft.
Although the present invention is more especially appropriate for a mobile telephone, it can also be applied to other means of radio communication, such as for example portable computer terminals. In a known manner, such portable terminals make it possible to effect a computerized information communication, by virtue of their connection to computerized information networks with the aid of built-in radio modems.
It is known that mobile telephones, which have increased greatly in number in a short time, by virtue of low cost of acquisition and affordable price of communication, are barred from use on board aircraft, especially civil transport planes, for safety reasons. This bar is in fact necessary so as to avoid any electromagnetic interference with the on-board electronic systems of the aircraft, which is liable to be very damaging, in particular during aircraft takeoff and landing.
Also, when the passengers of a transport plane wish to communicate with their usual interlocutors, they must use the communication systems provided as the case may be for this purpose on the plane.
Thus, as regards for example telephone communications, special handsets with which planes are generally equipped are often made available to passengers, to allow them to call the subscribers of the terrestrial telephone network.
The radio means of communication implemented for this purpose use:
Furthermore, special installations have to be set up on the ground, so as to co-operate with these radio means of communication, and in particular so as to send the telephone communications to the persons called.
The aforesaid solutions are not satisfactory since they use complex and costly installations, which are intended as a priority for air transport, this entailing an extremely high communication cost.
Furthermore, these solutions have the following drawbacks: